Dominican Republic Approves New Gambling Bill

The Dominican Republic’s Senate has approved amendments to legislation that would establish a new framework for gambling and betting regulation in the country.

The bill seeks to consolidate responsibilities currently distributed among different government institutions and establish a more unified system for overseeing gambling activities.

A central element of the proposed legislation is the creation of an autonomous General Directorate of Gambling. The body would assume responsibility for regulating and supervising multiple forms of gambling, including casinos, lottery shops, sports betting, bingo, slot machines and online gambling.

Several industry stakeholders have supported the proposed reform, although further changes could still be considered. Following the Senate’s approval on September 16, regulators and industry representatives are expected to participate in discussions coordinated by the National Federation of Lottery Banking (FENABANCA).

FENABANCA to Coordinate 90-Day Review

According to local media reports, FENABANCA has agreed to establish a technical working group to examine potential amendments to the legislation following its approval.

The participating sectors would have 90 days from the promulgation of the law to identify and discuss changes they consider necessary. Any proposed amendments would subsequently be submitted to the National Congress.

The agreement brings together FENABANCA, private lottery and gambling concessionaires, the Dominican Association of Gaming Casinos, the Association of Sports Betting Operators (ADOBAD), the Dominican Horse Racing Commission and other industry representatives.

FENABANCA Secretary General Cristian Guzmán welcomed the Senate’s decision, stating: “We celebrate that this bill has been approved by Congress. We understand that the regulations were very dispersed and regulations that were unclear. This will greatly modernize everything related to gambling regulation in the Dominican Republic.”

Guzmán also said: “The bill needs improvements, but one of the commitments we made was that, once the law was approved, we would take 90 days among the different sectors to propose improvements through a technical working group.”

Framework Includes Measures Against Illegal Gambling

The proposed legislation is intended to strengthen gambling regulation while improving efforts to control illegal operators.

Under the framework, the new General Directorate of Gambling would coordinate with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) and the country’s banking network.

The regulator would have the ability to block domains or IP addresses belonging to unlicensed online gambling websites and applications. Banks and payment service providers would also be authorised to freeze transfers and deposits connected to illegal gambling platforms.

These measures are designed to create a coordinated technical and financial mechanism targeting illegal gambling through website blocking and restrictions on payment flows.

Gambling Venues Face 500-Metre Restrictions

The legislation would also introduce location-based restrictions for gambling establishments.

New betting venues would not be permitted within 500 metres of places frequented by minors and families, including schools, childcare facilities, churches, healthcare centres and universities.

Failure to comply with the minimum-distance requirement could result in regulatory penalties. In the most serious cases, operators could be prevented from obtaining new gambling licences for up to 10 years.

The proposed framework would therefore introduce centralised gambling regulation alongside measures targeting illegal online operators and restrictions on the location of gambling venues. The planned 90-day technical review would allow regulators and industry participants to propose changes before the legislation is finalised.